Review of CHASING ICE

This Documentary follows National Geographic photographer James Balog as he tries to physically prove global warming. He’s a firm believer that global warming is real, so with the help of his crew, he proceeds to set up several cameras to show just how rapidly glaciers are moving, in various different parts of the world (like Greenland and Alaska).

I don’t really have any interest in this kind of thing. Sometimes I get bored with Documentaries. Now, I understand that this is an important issue, but watching a film about global warming and a photographer taking pictures of glaciers sounds like chore to sit through. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. This is a well made Documentary that becomes very involving because it’s just as much about Balog’s journey as it is about global warming.

We see the photographer go through many hardships. He and some engineers have to make the cameras in a special way for what they need them for. They set up cameras to take a picture every hour, for a time-lapse effect. But things don’t go as planned. For the first 6 months, the cameras didn’t work and they had to redesign the cameras. Just seeing how heart-broken Balog was is devastating. But his determination to continue with the project is inspiring.

The footage captured is kind of breathtaking. There are two instances where they captured part of a glacier actually falling into the Ocean. That was cool! The movie is also very short and to the point. It’s an important movie with an important message. But for me, the most engaging thing about this movie was to see just how dedicated Balog is to his profession and pushing on, even when the odds were against him. As a filmmaker myself, I definitely identified with him.

I think people who are interested in global warming are going to want to see it, but they’ll also get something more. It’s also a very inspiring story of man not giving up on what he was set out to do. ★★★ (out of ★★★★)